The Love of a Marauder
by rentedemotion07
Summary: Lily and James enter their 7th year, and things are going the same as always. That is, until Lily gets the surprise of her life. Will she finally see James for the funny, charming, Quidditchloving boy he is? Will James WANT her? Will Snape ever find a gre
1. Home At Last

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Harry Potter, they belong to J.K Rowling.

Authors note: This is my first attempt at a Lily and James fic, I have no idea how long it will go for but for God's sake please review and let me know what you think. Even flames are ok. Thanks a bunch!

**The Last Time at Kings Cross**

**By NiceCupofTea1107 **

_"There is a woman at the beginning of all great things."  
--Alphonse de Lamartine _

Lily ran as fast as she could through the barrier. It had always been strange to her, running through what seemed to be a solid wall. Maybe it was because she had grown up a Muggle. This would be her last time running through the barrier to get on the train to Hogwarts. She had been thinking about this time all of summer, the beginning of the end of a great beginning her father had jokingly called it. Now she realized that this was exactly what it was. She had promised herself that at graduation she wouldn't cry…she had so much to look forward to, maybe even a nice job at the Ministry. Plus, once she was out of Hogwarts, she'd never have to see her sister Petunia again. Lily scrunched up her nose at the thought of her sister. Her sister and her were nothing alike. Petunia had a long thin face, quite like a horse, and stringy blond hair. Even though they were sisters, they didn't get along.

"Oh well…" Lily sighed. She slowly pushed her cart towards a door way, she was just about to heave her trunk off the cart when she heard someone calling her name.

"Lily! Lily Evans!" Lily turned to look at who was calling her name. It was her friend Arissa.

"Arissa!" Lily yelled. Her friend was running towards her, her long brown hair streaming out behind her as she ran and her blue eyes wild with excitement.

Arissa tackled Lily and grabbed her in a fierce hug. "Oh Lily! It's been too long since we've seen each other."

Lily hugged her friend back just as tightly. "I know, it seems like we've been a life time away, even though we've been writing all summer."

Arissa pulled away and looked at her friend. Lily had changed. Her hair was glossier, and her eyes twinkled with an inner fire, as they always had done, but now the small kindling had turned into a blaze. And to top it all off, she was wearing makeup. "Oh Lily…you look so good, that makeup looks fantastic on you." Arissa put her hand to Lily's face. "Did anything happen over the summer that I should know about duck? You seem so much more…I'm not sure."

Lily laughed, and her laugh sounded out through out the station like a bell. For a second, it seemed as if the whole station stopped just to listen to her laugh, but Arissa assumed it was just a trick of her imagination.

"I hexed Petunia over the summer." Lily said with a wink.

"No! You didn't!" Arissa gasped and then couldn't help but laugh herself.

"I did! Her and that ruddy fiancé of hers were making fun of me, so since I'm of age now I decided that they needed a good cursing." Lily smiled at her friend.

What hex did you use?" Lily's black haired friend asked expectantly.

"Bat Bogey Hex."

"Niiice!" Arissa exclaimed.

"I know! It was so amazing!" Lily broke out into a fit of giggles as she remembered the vision of Petunia and that idiot of a fiance having bogies all of their faces and then the bogies growing bat wings and attacking them.

After several moments of giggling, finally Arissa said to her friend, "Ok well I'm going to go get my trunk, and Lynn and save me a seat k? I'll see you on the train!"

"Ok! See you at Hogwarts love!" And with that Arissa trotted off to go find their other friend and get her things together.

Lily bent down towards her trunk to yank it off the cart when she heard a masculine voice say, "Here, let me help you with that."  
center /center

"Prongs! Hey Prongs!" Sirius jumped up and down so James would be able to see him. Prongs had just come through the barrier, pushing a cart with a trunk and a cage with a brown barn owl in it.

"Padfoot!" James left his things parked by a brick wall and ran as fast as he could to his best friend. "It feels like ages since I've seen you!" James pulled his best friend into a guy hug, each of them pounding each other's backs.

"James…I stayed with you over the summer, I just left a week ago to get my stuff from home that I forgot." Sirius grinned.

"So! It still seems like its been forever!" James grinned back at him.

"And how has my Jamesy been since I last saw him?" Sirius said, pushing his own cart towards James cart.

"Oh can't complain, its been ok…but you know my parents…'Why aren't you going out with any nice witch? I should fix you up with this nice witch who's the daughter of one of my employees, I hear she's quite attractive." James rolled his eyes as Sirius laughed.

"Well I plan on having at least 4 girlfriends this year, I mean with my fantastic body it should be no problem." He winked at his friend. "Oh well look who it is! Evans trying to get her trunk off the cart! I think I'll go help her." Sirius started off with a roguish wink.

"Sirius! No! Gah!" James ran as fast as he could so he could pass up his friend. He skidded to a stop right at the trunk, just before falling over it. He quickly cleared his throat. "Here, let me help you with that."  
center /center

"Thanks, but no thanks Potter. I can handle this on my own." Lily retorted quickly and attempted to yank the trunk out of his grasp.

"Oh come on Evans. Both of our trunks are heavy, I'll help you carry yours in and then you can help me with my trunk and Demeter." James waved his hand towards his cart where a huge trunk sat along with a barn owl in a cage.

"Oh fine." Lily gave a sigh of frustration.

James bent down towards the trunk, and Lily followed suit. Together they carried her trunk through the hall of the train, kids pushing past them, sliding into compartments and yelling to friends they hadn't seen since June. Lily headed straight for the Head Boy and Girl compartment, James holding onto the other handle, while being practically dragged along behind her. She slid open the door and stepped in, looking around with wide eyes. James followed behind her, also looking around the fantastically furnished room with amazement.

"Bloody hell…this is ace!" He dropped his end of the trunk with a bang and ran over to a cart that was filled with Pumpkin Pasties and all sorts of other treats.

The compartment was large and roomy, instead of the normal benches with cloth coverings, it contained large stuffed chairs and couches, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the walls were paneled with redwood and teak, and there were instructions on what to do sitting on top of the cart in which James was now leaning over and grabbing candy and other treats.

"Potter! These things are only for the Head Boy and Girl!" Lily said with a haughty tone.

"Oh din't ju hur?" James turned around to face her, his face stuffed with Pumpkin Pasties. He was attempting to form the words around the food. He took a huge swallow then said with a large smile, "I'm Head Boy." He had little bits of orange and white stuck in his top teeth. He ran his tongue over his teeth and the small bits of food quickly disappeared. He quickly strode over towards where the red-haired girl was standing, her eyes so wide they seemed as if they would pop out of her head. He slung his arm around her. "Oh come on Evans, it won't be that bad, we'll have fun, playing pranks…punishing Slytherins…blaming things on Peeves…fun." He said, his voice slowly trailing off into a wistful tone.

Lily slowly came to her senses. "Oh no we won't! At least I won't! And you! You'll behave! No pranks, no punishing anyone who doesn't deserve it and absolutely NO sneaking into the kitchens to rile up the house elves! You will behave and act like the Head Boy is SUPPOSED to act! Do you hear me!" Lily's brilliant green eyes flamed into brilliance with her anger.

"Ok, ok I was just kidding, jeez, you gonna help me with my trunk and owl or what?" He turned and stalked out of the compartment and back out onto the platform where his trunk was sitting and where his owl was ruffling its feathers in disgust at being left on the platform, while her owner was off with some girl.

James crouched down and carefully opened up the golden cage door. "Here girl…come on you silly bird." He put his arm by the opening of the door and the brown barn owl hopped onto his arm. "Now I'll meet you in my room at Hogwarts, have a good flight darling." He thrust his arm into the air and Demeter spread her wings and took flight, flying over the train and then off into the distance.

Lily watched all this from the door of the train. She carefully observed James' face as he thrust his fist up into the air. She saw love and tenderness in his eyes for his pet, and she was amazed that she was noticing this because she normally thought of him as a conceited little brat who got away with anything.

"Look Potter…I'm sorry about what I said. Come on, I'll help you with your trunk so we can get a move on." Lily bent down to pick up a handle, and together they carried his trunk and an empty cage onto the scarlet train that would take them to their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Finis! Tell me what you think guys and gals, keep in mind this is my first fic, enjoy!


	2. The Last Train Home

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of these characters except for Arissa and Lynn, they belong to me and therefore I can do whatever I want with them! MOO HOO HA HA HA! Ok I'm finished.

**The Last Train Home**

**By Nicecupoftea1107**

_But there's still tomorrow_

_Forget the sorrow_

_And I can be on the last train home_

_Watch it pass the day_

_As it fades away_

_No more time to care_

_No more time, today_

_But we sing_

_If we're going nowhere_

_Yeah we sing_

_If it's not enough_

_And we sing_

_Sing without a reason_

_To ever fall in love._

James sunk into the red velvet covered chair in the Head Boy and Girl compartment of the Hogwarts Express. It had been a tiring day. He had been busy threatening second years because they had set off dung bombs in a second year girl compartment. It had sounded like he would've done…did do. He closed his eyes, he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. His dreams had been haunted lately, but he could never remember anything after. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt.

Lily strode into the Head Boy and Girl compartment, already in her Hogwarts robes. James was still clad in the jeans and white sweater he had been wearing when he had first got on the train. His eyes were closed behind his thin-rimmed glasses, which were slightly askew on his face. He was having a fitful dream, his face contorted in pain.

"No…not her. Take me, please. It was all my fault…NO!" He jolted awake, his hazel eyes wide with fear, his breathing quickened. His eyes scanned the compartment and he saw Lily watching him.

"Potter, are you ok?" She took a step toward him, feeling odd emotions of tenderness.

"No, fine." He stumbled out of his chair and took a few steps back. He was visibly shaken.

"Bad dream?" She smiled encouragingly at him.

"Yeah…are we nearly there?"

"Yes. You better start getting ready."

"Righto." James strode toward his trunk and popped it open. He pulled out a set of robes. "Would you mind leaving while I change?

"Sure." Lily walked out of the compartment and closed the door. She waited a few moments, then decided it was safe to go in.

James stood with his back facing her, he had changed into his school pants, but not into the white button down shirt and tie. A long scar traced along all of his back, the flesh still red and puffy, signaling it as a recent wound.

"Potter. What happened to your back?" Lily stepped briskly toward the shirtless James. Her fingers traced along the scar, which started at the back of his neck. Her fingers stopped at his waist, where the wound dipped below his belt.

"Oh…um…yes. That…Quidditch accident." He flinched away from her fingers. "No big deal really." He tugged an undershirt on and the scar disappeared. He slid on his long sleeved white button down shirt and his nimble fingers quickly buttoned it up.

"Hey. Evans. Will you tie my tie for me? I always was rubbish at it." James had his gold and scarlet Gryffindor tie draped around his neck.

"Sure." She tied the tie with expert fingers as he slid on his long Hogwarts robes and pinned his Head Boy badge to the front of them.

"How you ever got twelve O.W.L.'s, I'll never know." She finished tying the tie and looked at his badge.

"What, you don't think I study, Evans?" He grinned at her.

"No, I just always thought you were too busy pulling pranks to study." She smiled back at him as the train pulled to a shuddering halt.

"Well, I'll see you at the feast then?" Lily stepped out of the compartment and into the crowded hallway.

"Right. See you, Evans." James watched her step off the train and onto the platform to join her two friends, her red hair slowly disappearing out of sight.

"Hey Jamsie." Sirius had walked up behind him. "Ready?"

"Yeah…where are Moony and Wormtail?" James's eyes scanned the crowd quickly for their two other friends.

"Oh, they're coming." Remus and Peter showed up quickly and the four of them found a carriage together.

"So, how were your summer, mates?" James asked of Peter and Remus.

"Oh fine, went on holiday with mum and dad after I came to stay with you. Went to Hawaii, you know that island that's a part of the states?" Remus shrugged. "It was ok, there was a lot of interesting wildlife."

"Only you would shrug off hot American babes Moony." Sirius elbowed his friend and grinned. "What about you Peter? What'd you do over the summer?"

"Oh nothing really. Stayed at home." He shifted his eyes, looking slightly suspicious.

"Look! We're coming up on the castle!" Remus stuck his head out of a window, and James did the same. The castle was lit in all its glory. James smiled. He was home at last.


End file.
